Oil-lamp burner.



H. N. KERR.

OIL LAMP BURNER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2s. 1915.

Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

(DOM 5 INVENTOF" HENRY N. KERR BY HIS ATTORNEY WITN ESSES H. N. KERR.

OIL LAMP BURNER.

APPLICATION man APR.26.1915.

Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR HENRY N. KERR WITNESSES '0- which the followin accompanying drawings,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY N. KEER, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

OIL-LAMP BURNER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 26. 1915. Serial No. 23.825.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY N. KERR, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Oil-Lamp Burners, of

is a specification.

My invention re atesk primarily to that class of oil lamps in which the flame from the wick is caused to heat an incandescing mantle of the usual type, although some of the features of my invention are also applicable to lamps in which the light is derived from the exposed flame. The objects of my invention are to direct to the ame an air supply in such volume and so distributed as to insure complete, and consequently smokeless, combustion; to so construct the burner at to provide convenient access t0 all parts of the same for cleaning or other purposes; to so mount the mantle as to provide for ready removal and replacing of the same and ready adjustment of it to its proper position in respect to the fiame from the wick; to provide for thorough ventilation of that portion of the oil font which is above the level of the oil therein; to prevent splashing of oil from the filling nozzle of the oil .font such as might otherwise be caused by careless handling of the lamp; to regulate the force of the flame so as to accord with the character of the mantle which is being used, and to prevent disruption of the flame by the outward projection of air currents .against the inner portionl of the same adjacent to the upper end of the wick.

' These objects I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the in which- Figure 1 represents a vertical section of so much of an oil lamp of the incandescent mantle class as to properly illustrate my '1nvention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of part of the Same on the line 1f-a, Fig'. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detached vertical section'of the air supplying dome and central guide tube viewed from the same point as in Fig. 2;

Fig.4 is a detached vertical sectional view of the wick carrier viewed from the same point as in Fig A1;

Fig. 5 is a detached vertical sectional view of the removable upper member of the air supplying dome viewed from the same .said upper member,

of part of the mantle holder and its support;

Fig. 7 is a top view of the valved air distributing cap which surmounts the central guide tube; y

Fig. 8 is a top view of the valve removed from said cap;

Fig. 9 is a detached vertical sectional view 0f the chimney holder.

Fig. 10 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of wick carrier, and

Fig. 11 isa horizontal section of said carrier with the wick mounted thereon and with the central guide tube in place therein.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings, 1 represents the upper part of the Qilfont which is usually of metal and has at the top a central internally threaded 'depending neck 2, and at one Patented Jan. 14, 1919.

side an upwardly projecting'filling nozzle 3 with screw cap 4 which has therein openings 5 for Ventilating the oil font above the level of oil therein and providing for the inflow of air as the volume of oil decreases.v Within the screw cap, at some little distance from the inner ends of the openings 5` is mounted a defiector 6, the latter serving to prevent splashing of oil through the openings in the cap which might otherwise be caused by careless handling of the lamp.

Into the internally threaded neck 2 at the top of the lamp is screwed the externally threaded tubular neck 7 at the base of the air sup lying dome 8, the latter having a detacha le upper member 10, the lower portion of which fits snugly within the upper portion of the dome 8. and is vertically supported upon cleats 24 engaging slots 23 in upper portion of said member being contracted in diameter so as to bear upon the outer side 0f the tubular wick 12, as shown in Fig. 1, and having below said contracted bearing portion an external shoulder 26 for a urpose hereinafter set forth.

he dome 8 is perforated, as shown at 8, for the free fiow of air to the outside of the wick 12, as shownin Fig. l, and (through the split portions of the wick hereinafter referred to) to the upper portion of the oil font, and to an air space within a wick carrier 15, hereinafter mentioned.

The domev 8 is provided with lateral'channels 13 for supporting and supplying air to the interior of the central gui e tube 9, the wick 12 being split at opposite sides, as

as shown in Fig. 10, the

los

shown in Fig. 1, so as to straddle the casings of said channels and permit said wick to be readily raised and lowered.

Surrounding the upper portion of the central guide tube 9, is an air chamber 14, the casing of which is perforated at top and bottom so as to permit free inlet of air at the bottom of the chamber and free outlet ofv air at the top of the same, and surrounding and guided in its vertical movement by the outer casing of this air chamber is the tubular upper portion of the wick carrier 15 to which the wick 12 is secured by means of an external fibrous wrapping 16, as shown in Fig. 2.

rlhe tubular wick carrier 15 has opposite vertical openings 15a formed therein, as Shown in Fig. 4, so that the lower portion of the wick carrier presents opposite concave legs 17 and 18 which are contracted in diameter in respect to the upper portion of the carrier, as shown in Fig. 4, and bear upon the opposite sides of the guide tube 9, as shown in Fig. 1, said legs being disposed lone on each .side of the casing of the air channels 13, and the lower ends of the legs being maintained in proper relation to one another by means of a transverse brace plate 61, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4.

r1`he leg 18 is perforated so as to form a rack for engagement with the teeth of a spur wheel 19 which is disposed on the inside of the central guide tube 9,. and projects through an opening in one side of the same, as shown in Fig. 1. The spur wheel 19 is carried by a shaft 20 free to turn in.

bearings 21 on the base of the dome 8, and within the channels 13, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, said shaft having a projecting end provided with a knurled or roughened knob 22 whereby it may be readily turned inone direction or the .other to raise or lower the wick carrier and wick.

rlhe contracted upper end of the upper member 10 of the dome terminates at the top in an outwardly flaring flange 25 which eds slightly above the top of the wick when the latter is at its normal hei ht, and thus serves to prevent overow, to t e outer side of the member 10, of any free oilwhich may be carried up by the wick, such free oil being retained by the flange 25 and held against the wick until it is consumed.

Upon the external annularv shoulder 26 (Fig. 5) of the upper dome member 10 rests a ring 27 (Fig. 9) perforated as at 28, and

having-.at its inner ed e an upwardly projecting flange 29 whic bears against that portion of the member 10 immediately above the shoulder 26, as shown in Fig; 1. The outer portion of the rin 27 engages and supports the internally s ouldered portion 30 of an annular chimney holder 31, which has', around its inner edge, an upstanding vertical Harige 32 and-around its outer edge `a ring 33 Laatse? fingers 34 for bearing upon the lower portion of the glas's chimney 35 which rests upon the holder 31, the latter having, inside of the chimney, perforations 36 for permitting an upf-low of air between the chimney and the mantle in order to prevent` overheating of the chimney' which. might cause fracture of 'the same.

The internal flange 32 of the chimney holder bears against the inside` of the ower portion of the mantle support"11and s rves to guide the latter in its vertical movements of adjustment, such movements being imparted to it by means of a ring 37 having an internally threaded depending neck 38 which is screwed upon the externally threaded portion of the lower dome member 8 of the burner, as shown in Fig, 1, and serves as a support for legs 39 depending from the mantle support 11, as shown yin Fig. 6, these legs' passing through suitable opem gs in the chimney holder 31, as shown in Fig. 1.

The mantle holder consists of a tapered ring 40 (Figs. 1 and 6) fitting snugly to but removable from the tapered upper portion of the support 11 and having sockets 41 for receivin the lower ends ot the legs ot a yoke 42, te mantle 43 (shown by dotted lines in Fig. l) being suspended by means of a loop 44 from the transverse top mehr ber of said yoke and the lower free edge of the mantle being engaged and held in place by cleats 45 on the top of the throttling Bange 56 which projects inwardly from the top of the ring 40, and surrounds the flame opening 55, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6.

Fitting snugly within the central guide tube 9 at the top of the latter is an inverted cup-shaped cap 46 having in its side wall, perforations 47 and in the top other kperforations 48, and on the underside of the top of the cap is a valve 49 carried by a central stem 50 which canbeturned by means of a head 51 above the to of the cap, as shown in Fig. l. lin the va ve 49 are formed two sets of .openings 5 2 and53, as shown in Fig. 8, the opemngs of one set being of'lesser diameter than those of the other set so that by proper adjustment of the valve either set of openings may be caused to register with the openings 48 in the top of the cap andthe area for the upow of air from the top of the cap and into the central portion ot the mantle 43 can thus be varied as desired.

When the lamp' isy burning, air flows freely inward through the perforations 8 in the dome. 8 to the outside of the wick and through the s lit portions of the latter into the font 1 a ove the oil therein, air also with upwardly projecting spring the wick, and this can readily be regulated,

ulatingl the force of the ler of the same, thereby deiiecting upwardly the*l j openings 47 and 48 of the cap 46, erfect and smokeless combustion being there y insured,

while, at the same time, overheating of those parts of the burner ,which are in roximity to the flame is prevented. The orce with which the gases of combustion impinge upon the inner side of the mantle depends in eat measure upon the vertical relation o the throttling Hange 56 in 'respect to the top of by adjustment of the movable support 11 after the lamp has been lighted, thereby reggases to accord with the coarse or ine mesh of the mantle employed.

lt will be noted that the various parts of the burner are fitted together so as to be readily detachable one' from another vand while this feature of my invention is not absolutely necessary it is a desirable one as it facilitates cleaning, inspection and repair of the burner, and when the upper 'member of the dome is detachable from the lower member the wick can be introduced into the font .from above without unscrewin the dome, the wick carrier in this case being without the bottomv brace 61.

The free flow of air through the perforated dome into and from the font prevents heating of the oil therein, or the accumulation of combustible gas in the font above the oil.

ln Figs. 10 and 11 l have shown a modiication of my invention in which instead of the air chamber 14 surrounding the central tube at the top and the wick carrier greater indiameter at the top than at the bottom, T. -use a wick carrier 15b of the same diameter from top to bottom but presenting a corrugated cross section, so that air channels 14a are formed both between the wick carrier and the central tube 9, and between the wick carrier and the wick 12, either set of these channels being suilicient to convey the proper amount of air to the inside of the flame.

I claim:

1. The combination, inaii oil lamp burner, of a central guide tube. a wick, and a wick carrier around which the upper portion of said wick is secured, said wick carrier comprisin an upper tube portion and depending si e legs bearing upon vand guided bythe central guide tube, one of said legs being perforated so as to form a rack.

2. The combination, in an oil lamp burner,

of a central eguide tube, a wick, a wick carrier expand in diameter'at its upper end, and means for causing upward flow of air between said central guide tube and the expanded upper end of said wick' carrier.

3. The combination, in an oil lamp burner,

of a central guide tube havin a casing surrounding the upper portion o the same and -inclosing an air chamber, and a wick. carrier comprising an upper portion, bearing upon sai 'air chamber leasing, and depending, inwardly bent, side legs, bearin upon the lower portion of 'said central ui e tube, one of said legs being perforate so as to form a rack.

4. The combination, in an oil lamp burner, of a central guide tube having an air chamber casing surroundin the upper portion of the same, and a .wic carrier comprising an upperfportion bearing upon the said air chamber. casing and a contracted lower portion forming an air space below said air chamber, the wick carrier having an opening therein through which air can enter said air space.

5. The combination, in an oil lamp burner, of a chimney holder, a mantle, a mantle support above said chimney holder, legs depending from said support and passin through the chimney holder," and a vertical y adjustible mounting for the lower end of said egs.

6. The combination, in an oil lamp burner, of a mantle, a mantle holder having a downwardly projecting and outwardly Haring flange, a mantle support having an upwardly projecting and inwardly flaring fiange adapted to receive the ange of the mantle holder, and, below the same, a downwardly projecting cylindrical flange, means for engaging the latter to guide the mantle support in its vertical movement, and means for effecting such vertical movement.

7. The combination, in an oil lamp burner, of a central (guide tube, a wick carrier guided thereon an having an upper portion of greater diameter than the guide tube so as to form an air space between them, an opening in said carrier through which air can pass into said air space, and a wick havin a split portion which registers with sai opening.

8. The combination, in an oil lamp burner, of a central air supply tube having a top .closure with o enings therein, and an adjustable valve or varying the effective area of said openings.

9. The combination, in an oil lamp burner, of acentral air supply tube .with a top closure therefor havin vertical openings therein, and an adjustable valve having a pluralit? of setsof openings therein, the openings o the diiferent'sets being of different diameters and said valve being movable so as to bring either set of 4its openings into register with the openings in the top closure of the air supplying tube.

10. The combination, in an oil lamp burner, 5 of a wick, a wick support, a guide tube therefor, and an air chamber caslng surrounding the upper portion of said tube, said casing being` erforated at top and bottom so as to provl e for a flow of air through the same 1o from that portion of the burner below the meinem casing to the inside of the Hama above the 15 wick. 4

In. testimony whereof,l I have signed ,my name to this speciication,'in the pr'eence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY N. KEER. 

